"Best double switch in WWE history"?

[berlinbrawler]

So I watched that Bottom Line Stone Cold DVD the other day. One thing that stood out to me was the historic Austin-Bret Hart match at Wrestlemania 13, where both Austin turned babyface and Bret Hart turned heel. Several people weigh in with their thoughts on this one. "The hardest thing in wrestling to do." "The best double switch in WWE history." ...
The best double switch in WWE history? Well, that can't be that hard, can it? After all, I have been watching this stuff for over 20 years and I'm having a really hard time recalling any other double switches at all.
Am I wrong? What other double switches have there been?

 

[Defekt]

Flair and Hogan did a double turn at WCW Uncensored 1999. It was during the First Blood match that inexplicably ended with a pinfall.

Powers of Pain and Demolition did one at Survivor Series 1988 as well.

That's all I can think of.

 

[berlinbrawler]

Ah, I just remembered another one. This was was a weak one, though.

Steve Austin and Kurt Angle at the Invasion PPV. They were both on team WWF against team WCW. Angle was a heel at the time, Austin was a babyface (he had turned babyface only a couple of days prior). At the end of the match Angle cleaned house, getting a huge babyface pop. But Austin turned on his teammate, costing Team WWF the match. So Angle suddenly was the top babyface and Austin the top heel.
But as I said before, this was a weak one. Austin had only been "pretending" to be a babyface for a couple of days and this was a fiasco match involving 8 or 10 guys.

 

[bmg82683]

don't forget mankind and the rock at survivor series 1998. rock was the babyface who vince was trying to keep out of the tournament. mankind was getting "groomed" by vince with a shave, manicure, pedicure. he got a dress shirt and tie and was getting ready to become vince's corporate champion then boom. rock applies the sharpshooter, vince rings the bell double switch.

 

[DetectiveZelix]

Shouldnt this be something more natural and not deliberate. Like WM 13 that came out of nowhere and the reaction was amazing. There were really no other double switch like that in history. In terms of crowd reaction I'd choose any Cena PPV main event as the crowd goes against Mr. Good Guy and Cheers the heel but then being that no one turns they dont really count. Maybe I can go with Eugene vs. Angle. everyone cheered for Angle and Eugene eventually turned heel.

 

[HBsam31]

None better than Hart/Austin, but I think in an interview or maybe Bret Hart's book it is mention that that double turn was more deliberate than people think. Someone may want to check my facts on this, but I am pretty sure i read that it was a planned double turn.

 

[DetectiveZelix]

Perhaps it was planned given the change in the attitude of the fans and the new demographic but 1. I dont think it was planned until WWF saw the growing fan support after KOTR 96 and 2. I dont think WWF knew the impact this double turn would make on the WWF at the time

 

[HBsam31]

Perhaps it was planned given the change in the attitude of the fans and the new demographic but 1. I dont think it was planned until WWF saw the growing fan support after KOTR 96 and 2. I dont think WWF knew the impact this double turn would make on the WWF at the time

Yeah I think you are right on there. No way they could have known the impact it had on the business. Another point you had was it seemed like such a different double turn than Rock/Mankind. It was like you could see that one coming miles and miles away. Hart/Austin seemed very natural in comparison.

 

[justtxyank]

None better than Hart/Austin, but I think in an interview or maybe Bret Hart's book it is mention that that double turn was more deliberate than people think. Someone may want to check my facts on this, but I am pretty sure i read that it was a planned double turn.

It was completely planned. Bret Hart had been turning heel for weeks prior, whining about being screwed and acting heelish. The announcers had been talking about Austin's "toughness" as well, despite him being a heel. Bret Hart worked heel spots in the match. It wasn't some spontaneous event.

 

[HBsam31]

It was completely planned. Bret Hart had been turning heel for weeks prior, whining about being screwed and acting heelish. The announcers had been talking about Austin's "toughness" as well, despite him being a heel. Bret Hart worked heel spots in the match. It wasn't some spontaneous event.

I thought this was the case, but I was not confident enough to state it as a fact. Thanks for clearing it up for me as I thought it was planned, but not totally sure.

 

[justtxyank]

I thought this was the case, but I was not confident enough to state it as a fact. Thanks for clearing it up for me as I thought it was planned, but not totally sure.

Yeah you were correct. That doesn't take away from it though. It was still very well executed.

 

[HBKperfect23]

Ah, I just remembered another one. This was was a weak one, though.

Steve Austin and Kurt Angle at the Invasion PPV. They were both on team WWF against team WCW. Angle was a heel at the time, Austin was a babyface (he had turned babyface only a couple of days prior). At the end of the match Angle cleaned house, getting a huge babyface pop. But Austin turned on his teammate, costing Team WWF the match. So Angle suddenly was the top babyface and Austin the top heel.
But as I said before, this was a weak one. Austin had only been "pretending" to be a babyface for a couple of days and this was a fiasco match involving 8 or 10 guys.

I forgot about this one. I just re-watched on youtube. I personally enjoyed this. Even though Austin wasnt going to get over as a heel I think he played the role well. I became an even bigger Angle fan around this time.

 

[ShinobiMusashi]

I think the Rock/Mankind switch from Survivor Series 98 was better from a creative standpoint. It was a pretty good double swerve on the fans where Austin/Hitman was something the crowd was already doing(Cheering Austin over Bret).

 

[relentless1]

this is a little out there but hear me out, i loved the double turn that happened when the outsiders arrived in wcw, all of a sudden they were the bad guys and all the other heels (4 horsemen, giant, lex luger) immediately became faces, that was a good one, basically everyone in wcw became de facto babyfaces, it was a cool concept for sure